Kryptonite for spam and robo calls

This morning I was pulled out of bed by a call from some place in New York I was not familiar with.  My mobile phone indicated that it was probably a spam call.  My curiosity took over and I took the call anyway.  After the customary silence the system began to play me a recorded message, in Chinese. 

Yep, that is where we are now. 

Our phone numbers are going to lists with such a thin tangential relationship to the original source; that Chinese companies call to sell me stuff I am sure I don't want, using a language I don't speak.

Price for Protection

In the business world, we have a tool that can protect us from this, the automated attendant.

"If you would like sell our CEO something he doesn't want using a language he doesn't speak, press 1", is an option you will never hear. 

In fact, it really doesn't matter what options you present to the spammer, they are most likely not going to be able to process or respond in any way that makes sense to your guardian-like automated attendant--if you set them up right.

In the middle of something: Isn't it annoying that you get spam calls when you're doing something important?

  

We can help you do that, of course, but what about calls that go to your mobile phone?  Is there anything that can be done if your phone number gets out there and calls start coming in? 

The answer is yes, but the options vary by the technology you use for cell service.

There Are Ways to Opt Out

  

Always start here, the National Do Not Call Registry.  It takes 10 seconds to register your phone number and you are added to the registry.  Reputable companies that operate in the US will use this database to make sure they are not calling you.  Won't stop the bad guys but it does help.

  

The iPhone has a feature that allows 3rd party applications to block calls that are listed in a database.  Apple provides a tool for managing a list of those software coordinating as many different tools you want to install for this purpose.

Please don't call me: Register your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry

  

If you happen to be a Verizon customer, there is not a feature the carrier has not figured out to monetize--robo calls are no exception. 

You can enable a feature on your Verizon phone that connects you to yet another database and will also make a guess if a call is spam, and let you know in the call screen before you take the call.  There is a watered down free version and a monthly fee version.

 

So far I have not seen a significant difference in the value they provide.

Let's do something about it: Finding ways to address the robo call epidemic

  

This USA Today article goes into more depth about robocalls and the lengths some people go to stop them. It’s a great read if you’re interested to learn more tips on how to address this problem.

We Are Here to Help

  

Our technology has a feature that allows us to force the caller to say their name prior to sending the call to your cell phone or forwarded number.  This is for those cases when you are on vacation and have your extension forwarded to your cell phone. 

In this case, you hear the person's name before they are connected and you can decide to send them to voicemail without taking the call.  This works for spam and other unwanted calls.

Depending on the service level with us, we can set this up for you, or you may have the option of doing it yourself via the web portal for your extension.  Either way, it is a clever way to stop the bad guys and as always, we got your back.


If you would like to talk to us about how we can help update your business phone service and business phone system, visit us here.